Mr Wear said all other state candidates across the Redlands – Greens, LNP, One Nation and two independents – were men.

"The Queensland ALP is a bright spot of gender equity on an otherwise miserable political landscape," he said.

Ms Richards, a 25-year Thornlands resident, said the win was still sinking in and was a great honour.

She congratulated other candidates. “I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to represent Redlands,” she said.

Ms Richards toughed it out with Mr McEachan who ran a strong grass roots battle. He was helped by federal MP Andrew Laming who waged a confrontational campaign, mounting sustained attacks on social media in Redlands and Capalaba.

Ms Richards had previously stood unsuccessfully against Mr Laming for the federal seat of Bowman.

Former Redlands MP Matt McEachan with his daughter India, 13, and mother Carolyn Cook at his election night party at Redlands Rugby League Club. Photo: Hannah Baker

Mr McEachan lost good conservative areas at Mount Cotton and Sheldon to the neighbouring seat of Springwood in an electoral redistribution earlier this year.

He also was hurt by Labor introducing compulsory preferential voting which ensured a stronger preference flow its way.

While Mr McEachan was saddened to concede defeat, he said he was privileged to have represented the Redlands electorate despite tough fights with the Palaszczuk government.

“It has been a tough three years...but we have done our absolute, very best,” he said.

Closure of the troubled Breaking Through drug rehab at Thornlands and forcing state government attention on the Giles and Cleveland-Redland Bay roads intersection were among his top achievements.

Labor’s Mick de Brenni in Springwood, on a similar tight margin to Mr McEachan, held off a strong challenge from a hard fighting Julie Talty for the LNP.

She is now expected to return to her post as a Redland City councillor.

One Nation and the Greens polled strongly but the former not nearly as well as it needed to win seats.

One Nation suffered substantial damage to its prospects during the campaign after leader Steve Dickson making lurid claims that school children were being taught to masturbate and wear dildos by teachers. He later apologised.

It gave substantial traction to Labor’s scare campaign that the LNP would have to form a coalition with One Nation to form government.